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Recess Monkey

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Recess Monkey
OriginSeattle, United States
GenresChildren's music
Years active2005–present
Labelsindependent record label
MembersDrew Holloway
Jack Forman
Korum Bischoff
Websitewww.recessmonkey.com

Recess Monkey is a Seattle-based trio of current and former elementary school teachers who have made music for kids and families since their debut album Welcome to Monkey Town in 2005.[1] They have since released 13 albums for family audiences. They perform live concerts throughout the United States with an emphasis on audience participation, energetic dance opportunities and a focus on the entire family.[2]

History

The band's original members, Drew Holloway (lead vocals, guitar), Jack Forman (bass, vocals) and Daron Henry (drums) met as colleagues at Seattle's University Child Development School.[3] They originally performed adult-focused independent rock as The Waiting Room but soon experimented with combining their indie rock music with childhood themes.[4] Drummer Henry was replaced in late 2012 by Korum Bischoff (formerly of The Dead Science), who continues as the third member of the trio.[5]

Recordings

Discography

Recess Monkey is known as a prolific[6] contributor to the American "Kindie Rock" musical community,[7] routinely releasing a new album each year, each with its own unique theme.

  1. Welcome to Monkey Town, 2005
  2. Animal House, 2006
  3. Wonderstuff,[8] 2007
  4. Tabby Road,[9] 2008
  5. Field Trip[10]', 2009
  6. The Final Funktier,[11] 2010
  7. Flying,[12] 2011, produced by Tor Hyams
  8. In Tents,[13] 2012, produced by Dean Jones
  9. Deep Sea Diver[5][14][15]', 2013
  10. Desert Island Disc,[16] 2013
  11. Wired, 2014,[17] produced by John Vanderslice
  12. Hot Air, 2015,[6] produced by John Vanderslice
  13. Novelties,[18] 2016

Awards and Distinctions

Recess Monkey's albums have received multiple awards within the Children/Family Music community.

Novelties

Their 2016 album Novelties was awarded the gold medal by the Parent's Choice Award board, who asked, "What happens when you mix together three very musical educators from Seattle, fourteen original songs, and fold in great production? They rock!"[18] Novelties received a NAPPA Award in October 2016. The album was an Amazon Originals Family Album, presented exclusively on the Amazon and Amazon Prime platform. The album earned the #8 spot on the annual Fids and Kamily music poll in November 2016.[19] School Library Journal named the album one of the ten best of 2016.[20]

Hot Air

Their 2015 album Hot Air was awarded the gold medal by the Parent's Choice Award board, which praised its "irresistible sophistication of melody lines, layered harmonies and pop rhythms."[21] Hot Air received a silver NAPPA Award for its "tunes that hold a sunny, Beatles-like quality."[6] Hot Air also received a KIDS First Award for its "potent punch of fun, danceable and delightfully listenable tunes that will lift your spirits and take you on flights of fancy".[22] The album earned the #5 spot on the annual Fids and Kamily music poll.[23]

Wired

2014's Wired earned the #3 spot on the annual Fids and Kamily music poll.[24]

Deep Sea Diver

2013's Deep Sea Diver earned a #6 spot on the annual Fids and Kamily music poll.[24]

In Tents

2012's In Tents earned a #3 spot on the annual Fids and Kamily music poll.[24]

Flying

2011's Flying earned the #1 spot on the annual Fids and Kamily music poll.[24]

The Final Funktier

2010's The Final Funktier earned the #4 spot on the annual Fids and Kamily music poll.[24] It earned 4 stars (out of 4) in People Magazine who deemed it "irresistibly fun."[25]

Field Trip

2009's Field Trip earned the #3 spot on the annual Fids and Kamily music poll.[24] The album was also selected as an American Library Association Notable Children's Recording.[26]

On Sirius XM, Kids Place Live – Channel 78

Recess Monkey has earned several #1 hits on Sirius XM's Kids Place Live Channel 78[27] and have played yearly live shows in the channel's Rumpus Room series since 2008. In 2013, Recess Monkey's bassist emcee Jack Forman[28] became an on-air host on SiriusXM's Kids Place Live, hosting the daily, nationally broadcast call-in show "Live From the Monkey House."

Notable live performances

The band has played the children's stages at several nationally acclaimed festivals including Lollapalooza in 2010 and 2016, Austin City Limits in 2011,[29] The Life is Good Festival in 2013, Seattle's Northwest Folklife Festival multiple years,[30] and The Bumbershoot Festival in 2009.[31] They have been featured at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles on two occasions, in 2009 and 2013.[32]

Recess Monkey is a frequent performer at Performing Arts Centers across North America. Shows have included Symphony Space in New York City,[33] They played the Millennium Stage at The John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. in 2011[34] and The Segerstrom Center For the Arts in Orange County, California. The band has also been featured in several runs of Big Top Rock music and circus shows geared for the whole family at Seattle's Teatro ZinZanni, including 2012's "In Tents,[35]" 2013's "Tambourine Submarine[36]" 2014's "Curious Circus.[37]" and 2015's "Lighter Than Air.[38]" The band has played several engagements at Wolf Trap's Children's Theater in the Woods in Vienna, Virginia.[39]

Recess Monkey appeared with The Dalai Lama at Seattle's Seeds of Compassion event in 2008, playing to an audience of 50,000 at Qwest Field (now CenturyLink Field).[1] The band joined other nationally acclaimed family musicians at 2014's New Year's Eve live music festivities at Legoland California, playing two sets.[40] Recess Monkey also shared the stage with The Okee Dokee Brothers and comedian Larry The Cable Guy at Nebraska's Lincoln Children's Zoo's Zoobilee in August 2015.[41]

Video productions

Recess Monkey has created several dozen self-produced video works. In tandem with their release of 2009's Field Trip album, they released two 90 minute DVDs in the Field Trips With Recess Monkey series. Each DVD is broken into four short episodes and the volumes are known by their episode numberings, Episodes 1-4[42] and Episodes 5-8. The DVDs blended music videos with live performances, interviews and were hosted by the band's fictitious hand puppet band manager Mayor Monkey. The band has self-produced three full-length concert videos of each of their Teatro ZinZanni Big Top Rock series, released for free on YouTube and other platforms. Recess Monkey's 2015 audio album Hot Air was released with a tandem 40-minute DVD video also entitled Hot Air which tells a narrative story in a mixed media, animated form.[22] The band has created numerous standalone music videos for songs from 2008 to present.[43]

Kindiependent Collective

The band is a member of the Seattle-based Kindiependent Collective, which includes Caspar Babypants, The Not-Its, Johnny Bregar, The Harmonica Pocket, The Board of Education and Brian Vogan and His Good Buddies.

References

  1. ^ a b http://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/recess-monkey-rockin-with-kids-8212-and-soon-the-dalai-lama/
  2. ^ "Teachers enrolled in school of rock". Retrieved 2015-09-17.
  3. ^ https://www.parentmap.com/article/recess-monkey-rocks
  4. ^ "Recess Monkey rockin' with kids — and, soon, the Dalai Lama". Retrieved 2015-09-16.
  5. ^ a b "Recess Monkey Deep Sea Diver". Retrieved 2015-09-16.
  6. ^ a b c "NAPPAawards.com". NAPPAawards.com. Retrieved 2015-09-16.
  7. ^ Barovick, Harriet (2010-05-17). "Parents! Are You Ready for Kindie Rock?". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 2015-09-16.
  8. ^ "The Year in Music for Kids". Retrieved 2015-09-16.
  9. ^ "The Best Children's Music". Retrieved 2015-09-16.
  10. ^ "Best kids' albums of 2009 | Things to Do | reviews, guides, things to do, film – Time Out New York Kids". Retrieved 2015-09-16.
  11. ^ "Picks and Pans Review: Spotlight on ... New Music for Kids". Retrieved 2015-09-16.
  12. ^ McLaughlin, Moira E. (2011-12-06). "Best CDs of the year will make kids want to rock, sing, move". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2015-09-16.
  13. ^ "Recess Monkey – In Tents". Retrieved 2015-09-16.
  14. ^ "Kid-friendly tunes for your back-to-school commute". Retrieved 2015-09-16.
  15. ^ ""Deep Sea Diver", by Recess Monkey | The Best Kids' Albums of 2013 | Everywhere – DailyCandy". www.dailycandy.com. Retrieved 2015-09-16.
  16. ^ "Review: Desert Island Disc – Recess Monkey". Retrieved 2015-09-16.
  17. ^ Shepherd, Stefan. "Music Reviews: 'Wired' And 'Appetite For Construction'". NPR.org. Retrieved 2015-09-16.
  18. ^ a b "Novelties". Parents' Choice Foundation. Retrieved 2016-09-19.
  19. ^ Stefan (2016-11-03). "Fids and Kamily: The Best Kids and Family Music of 2016: 11th Annual Fids and Kamily Music Award Winners". Fids and Kamily. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  20. ^ "Top 10 Music | 2016". School Library Journal. Retrieved 2016-12-01.
  21. ^ "Hot Air". Parents' Choice Foundation. Retrieved 2015-09-16.
  22. ^ a b www.TheNetCave.com, NetMan Inc. "HOT AIR from RECESS MONKEY – KIDS FIRST! Reviews and Videos". www.kidsfirst.org. Retrieved 2015-09-16.
  23. ^ "Fids and Kamily: The Best Kids and Family Music of 2015: 10th Annual Fids and Kamily Award Winners". Fids and Kamily. 2015-10-22. Retrieved 2015-10-22.
  24. ^ a b c d e f "Fids and Kamily". fidsandkamily.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2015-09-16.
  25. ^ "Picks and Pans Review: Spotlight on ... New Music for Kids". Retrieved 2015-09-17.
  26. ^ "2010 Notable Children's Recordings | Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC)". www.ala.org. Retrieved 2015-09-17.
  27. ^ "Kids Place Live – All Fun for Kids – SiriusXM Radio". Retrieved 2015-09-16.
  28. ^ "Jack Forman – Host". Retrieved 2015-09-16.
  29. ^ "ACL Lineup 2011". Retrieved 2015-09-16.
  30. ^ "2013 Northwest Folklife Festival: Kindiependent Show!: Sponsored by Parent..." 2013northwestfolklifefestival.sched.org. Retrieved 2015-09-16.
  31. ^ "Bumbershoot: Seattle's Music & Arts Festival: Recess Monkey". bumbershoot09.sched.org. Retrieved 2015-09-16.
  32. ^ "Garden Concerts for Kids (Getty Museum Programs)". www.getty.edu. Retrieved 2015-09-16.
  33. ^ "Recess Monkey at Symphony Space". Retrieved 2015-09-16.
  34. ^ "Recess Monkey". www.kennedy-center.org. Retrieved 2015-09-16.
  35. ^ "Teatro ZinZanni's 'In Tents' with Recess Monkey is irresistible fun for kids". Retrieved 2015-09-17.
  36. ^ "Tambourine Submarine Makes a Spectacular Splash". Retrieved 2015-09-16.
  37. ^ "Teatro ZinZanni's Big Top Rock: Curious Circus with Recess Monkey". Retrieved 2015-09-16.
  38. ^ "Get Lighter Than Air at This New Rock & Roll Circus Extravaganza". 2015-11-03. Retrieved 2016-09-19.
  39. ^ McLaughlin, Moira E. (2013-06-24). "Summer concerts featuring kids music". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2015-09-17.
  40. ^ "Kids' New Year's Eve – LEGOLAND". california.legoland.com. Retrieved 2015-09-17.
  41. ^ "Lincoln Children's Zoo : Events : Zoobilee". www.lincolnzoo.org. Retrieved 2015-09-17.
  42. ^ "Field trips with Recess Monkey". Ann Arbor District Library. Retrieved 2015-09-17.
  43. ^ "Recess Monkey". YouTube. Retrieved 2015-09-17.
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